Our planet is under siege. Assaults on the atmosphere -the greenhouse effect, the depletion of the ozone layer and increasing air pollution - pose a still unquantified threat to human life. The dumping of hazardous wastes, and land based sources of pollution, present a similar threat to the oceans. On land we are destroying a tropical forest the size of Austria every year, and more than a hundred species of wild plants and animals are lost forever each day. When the General Assembly of the United Nations established UNEP it charged us with reporting on the changing state of the world's environment, tracking the underlying causes of change, and working with governments to develop responses to those changes. Every year since 1974, UNEP has produced a State of the Environment report, focusing on one or more emerging environmental issues and always stressing the human factor -the impact of environmental quality on people and society. Three times since its inception (1982, 198 7 and 1992) UNEP has undertaken a more wide-ranging study. The results of the present study are the most disturbing of the three. However, not all the signs are negative. Throughout the 19 70s and into the 1980s, UNEP was able to report progress in some important areas. Environmental monitoring capacity was being rapidly improved in many parts of the world, and Ministries of the Environment were being set up in an attempt to deal with environmental threats in a more coherent way.

At a time when states are reactive, at best, to the global ecological crisis and when economic globalization seems to be significantly contributing to the acceleration of that crisis, environmental non-governmental orgainisations (NGOs) are proliferating. This book explains the key role of NGOs in an emerging world environmental politics, showing how NGOs act both as independent bargainers and as agents of social learning, to link biophysical conditions to the political realm at both the local and global levels. Throught the use of case studies the authors reveal the richness and diversity of NGO activity and the dificulty of the choices facing decision-makers in their attempts to protect the environment, seek new forms of governance and foster social environmental learning. The book generates questions that are central, not only to an understanding of NGO relations, but to the study of international environmental politics. Environmental NOGs in World Politics will be of great interest to upper level student sand scholars of both environmental politics and international relations. It will also appeal to environmental-policy professionals.

How do we take stock of the state and direction of the world’s environment, and what can we learn from the experience? Among the myriad detailed narratives about the condition of the planet, the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) reports—issued by the United Nations Environment Programme—stand out as the most ambitious. For nearly three decades the GEO project has not only delivered iconic global assessment reports, but through its multitude of contributors has inspired hundreds of similar processes worldwide from the regional to the local level. This book provides an inside account of the evolution of the GEO project from its earliest days. Building on meticulous research, including interviews with former heads of the United Nations Environment Programme, diplomats, leading contributing scientists, and senior leaders of collaborating organizations, the story is told from the perspective of five GEO veterans who all played a pivotal role in shaping the periodic assessments. The GEO’s history provides striking insights and will save valuable time to those who commission, design and conduct, as well as critique and improve, assessments of environmental development in the next decade.

All serious environmental threats are now international in scope and more than one thousand international environmental agreements already exist. Yet the prospects for international cooperation leading to the management of impacts on the planet remain grim. The Global Environment meets the need for an authoritative assessment of the state of international environmental institutions, laws and policies at the end of the 20th century. The book examines disagreements over the meaning of sustainable development, problems inherent in implementing environmental policies and the conflict over the exclusion of developing countries from the Kyoto Protocol. It discusses the profound trade-offs that may be required, the role of international financial interests in promoting incompatible forms of development and analyses international environmental institutions, law and policy and sustainable development.

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of environmental issues for nation-state security, current research on international environmental security is insufficient. Although scholars in the field of International Relations believe that there is an appropriate role for international relations theory in analyzing global environmental concerns, the existing literature is predominantly descriptive or prescriptive rather than analytical. This study attempts to remedy this problem by conducting an empirical analysis of nation-state behavior in the international environmental realm.

This post-UNCED account of the frameworks, standards and implementation of the international environmental law is intended for undergraduates and academics in the fields of international law, politics, geography, economics and environmental studies. It can be used on its own as a reference or course text or in conjunction with its companion collections of documents.

Some Major Developments Witnessed During The 20Th Century Have Greatly Impacted Human Beings As Well As The Planet Earth The Only Known Planet To Support Life. Incalculable Harm Is Being Caused To Natural Habitats, Eco-Systems And Environment By Unprecedented Growth In Population Resulting In Great Rise In Consumption; Rapid Increase In Urbanization And Industrialisation; Dramatic Changes In Global Economic Environment; And Reckless Use Of Mineral And Forest Resources, Etc.As A Result Of Man S Unsustainable Practices, There Is An Ongoing Depletion Of Our Planet S Biological Treasures, And A Real Threat Of Acceleration In Greenhouse Effect And Global Warming. Serious Consequences Are Apprehended Because Of Receding Of Glaciers. Rapid Melting Of Snow Will Lead To Quick Run Off Of Water And Submersion Of Coastal Areas And Several Small Islands. Weakening Of The Great Reservoirs Of Water And The Sources Of Rivers Will Adversely Affect The Volume And Flow Of Water. Adverse Climate Changes Anticipated Include Intensification Of Tropical Cyclones, Irregular Rainfall Patterns, Frequent Droughts And Floods.Global Environment: Problems And Policies Is An Anthology Containing Articles By Erudite Scholars And Environmentalists Who Have Analysed The Above Issues And Made Valuable Suggestions On Pertinent Aspects Like Planning And Designing Of Hydrological Structures, River Basin Management, Flood Control, Drought Management, Urban Planning, Industrial Development And Disposal Of Toxic Chemical Wastes.The Book Will Be Highly Useful For Students And Researchers Working In The Field Of Environment. Policymakers, Executives And Industrialists Will Also Find It Useful. The Book Will Create Awareness Among The Readers About The Need To Adopt Sustainable Practices, Protect Natural Habitats, Preserve Biodiversity And Re-Establish Environmental Ethics And Values.